People may think they are hallucinating or even seeing ghosts when Bruce Lee, Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe, among others, appear blinking on the facade of the Cultural Centre this week.
'This is the perfect location for me to show this huge piece of public art,' creator Simon Boswell said of his 30-metre-high video installation, featuring footage of 10 celebrities, including Jackie Chan, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Kate Moss, David and Victoria Beckham, Andy Warhol and Mohammad Ali.
The video installation entitled BLINK launches the city's first Hong Kong Art Week, sponsored by the Home Affairs Bureau, which has used HK$1 million in public money to fund the four-day event. It said Boswell's piece aimed to bring art outdoors for the public and introduce international artists to the city.
The city's obsession with celebrity culture not only made it an obvious choice as the ideal outdoor canvas, but 'the Hong Kong skyline is the perfect setting', Boswell said.
The previous incarnation of BLINK featured politicians and leaders, such as Queen Elizabeth and former US president Bill Clinton. But the one in Hong Kong focuses on celebrities as well. Viewers will see footage of a celebrity in slow motion a moment before or after speaking, accompanied by a unique soundtrack. The music reflects Boswell's instant reaction to the image and his feelings towards the celebrity.
Boswell, who says he is a huge Bruce Lee fan, said Lee's surviving daughter Shannon provided rare interview footage of the late star, and the piece would not have been the same without it. Boswell created an epic soundtrack for his hero.
In contrast, an upbeat piece was written for Chan, whom Boswell said had a 'great sense of humour'.